Michelin’s New Tires Are 3D Printed And Completely Biodegradable

“We believe that mobility is essential for human development, we innovate passionately to make it safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly,”

Michelin recently revealed a prototype of the MICHELIN Visionary Concept. It is a tire made out of recycled materials. The wheel has no internal pressure which makes it puncture-proof and also means that the tires won’t be affected by bad weather. The tread adjusts to the driving condition and can also be modified and replenished at any time.

The wheel has a honeycomb structure which Michelin explains in its news release as a form that mimics the natural growth process at work in the plant, mineral or sometimes even animal world, such as in coral. Since the tire is made out of recycled materials, the tire itself is, of course, fully recyclable. Despite this, the tire is designed to last as long as the vehicle.

A 3D printer can easily replenish the tire tread whenever needed. According to Michelin, “the material used, which draws on cold cure technology, delivers the same performances as a conventional tread.” Bonus points: It’s biodegradable! This means you will never have to change your car’s tires again, not for summer, not for winter, just go to a center to get the new tread 3D printed onto the tire. It also means you will probably not have to buy new tires for a very long time. It does sound pretty convenient to me. The less work I have to do to maintain my car, the better.

Michelin said on their news release “a circular economy capable of protecting the planet’s resources by reducing, reusing, renewing or recycling the materials required to manufacture our products, and avoid leaving a negative impact on the environment.”

The tires can communicate with your vehicle and vice versa because MICHELIN Visionary Concept is all connected. Without having to go anywhere you can be informed on the status of your tire’s tread. You can program a tread reprint, and you can choose the type of pattern you need. If you don’t want to deal with all of that you have an option to follow the suggestion made by the app which detects your requirements.

Not only is 3D printing becoming more and more useful in regular daily life, but it is also obvious that it is helping mankind tackle some issues like waste. “We believe that mobility is essential for human development, we innovate passionately to make it safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly,” said Michelin in its news release.

Is it safe to say that our future is going to be made out of 3D printers?

Dilara Kurtaran is a freelance journalist based in Toronto, Canada. She writes about anything from technology and beauty to hard news. If she’s not writing she is on the hunt to find another vintage book to add to her never ending collection.

If a 3D printer can “remake” the tire tread whenever that is necessary, that is a pretty nice feature for something like this. It might even be the feature that wins over the investors and the green consumers.